Party Decor

In Mexico, marigolds and other bright blooms are believed to catch the attention of the dead. Here are suggestions for decorating your table from Sunset home writer Mary Jo Bowling.

Create a candle holder. Secure taper candles in bottom of a glass cylinder with museum wax or putty; add some dried yellow lentils, then surround with fresh marigold petals.

Make a garland. String fresh or dried strawflowers with needle and thread.

Make napkin rings. Use a self-adhesive velcro dot to form a ring from a 6-inch piece of wide ribbon, fasten ribbon around a rolled napkin, and hot-glue a strawflower blossom to the top.

For more elaborate Day of the Dead crafts, decorations, and Mexican folk art, visit one of these websites: www.alamofiesta.com, www.casabonampak.com, www.corazondelpueblo.com, www.latinworksco.com, www.mexicansugarskull.com, and www.xanako.com.